subs. (old).—1. A dirty housewife; (2) = an awkward person or thing; (3) a WENCH (q.v.): cf. QUEAN; (4) a bitch. As verb. = to befoul; SLUTTERY (also SLUTTISHNESS) = neglect; SLUTTISH = (1) wanton; and (2) untidy.
14[?]. Babees Book [E.E.T.S.], 158.
| Crabbe is a SLUTT / to kerve, / & a wrawd wight; | |
| breke euery Clawe / a sondur. |
1383. CHAUCER, The Canterbury Tales, ‘Prologue to Canon Yeoman’s Tale,’ 83. Why is thy lord so SLUTTISH?
1596. SHAKESPEARE, Merry Wives of Windsor, v. 5. 50. Our radiant queen hates SLUTS and SLUTTERY.
1615. SYLVESTER, Tobacco Battered, 584.
| Don Tobacco’s damnable Infection | |
| SLUTTING the Body, slaving the Affection. |
1648. HERRICK, Hesperides, ‘Excesse.’
| Excesse is SLUTTISH; keepe the meane; for why? | |
| Vertue’s clean conclave is sobriety. |
1664. PEPYS, Diary, 21 Feb. Our little girl Susan is a most admirable SLUT, and pleases us mightily, doing more service than both the others. Ibid. (1665), 7 Nov. He carried his glass with him for his man to let him drink out of at the Duke of Albemarle’s, where he intended to dine, though this he did to prevent SLUTTERY.
d. 1704. T. BROWN, Letter to Monsieur de T——, in Works, i. 338. The young SLUT never look’d so gay and pleasant in her life.
1705. VANBRUGH, The Confederacy, iii. 2. I have managed Master Gripe’s little affairs for him these ten years, you SLUT, you!
1712. ADDISON, Spectator, No. 130. You see now and then some handsome young jades among them [gypsies]; the SLUTS have very often white teeth and black eyes.
1862. THACKERAY, The Adventures of Philip, xiii. I gave my cousin this dog … and the little SLUT remembers me.
